Returning to an all-original line up on the night for the first time in 3 weeks (since 4/10/13), ABC's Modern Family came back as Wednesday's #1 TV show in Adults 18-49, outdelivering Fox's American Idol on the night by 25%. Modern has now beaten or tied Idol-Wed in each of its last 5 originals. Out of Modern, How to Live With Your Parents (For the Rest of Your Life) continued to deliver improved lead-in retention for ABC year to year and was up sharply week to week.
At 8pm against unusually strong competition from a 3-way reality battle (Idol, The Voice and Survivor), ABC's The Middle held 100% of its Adult 18-49 delivery from its most recent original three weeks ago. The Middle took second to Idol in the half-hour with Adults 18-34 and key Women (W18-34/W18-49), while ranking as the #1 broadcast show with Teens 12-17. Opposite stiff competition at 8:30pm, ABC's series debut of Family Tools delivered the Net's largest audience in the slot in 4 weeks (since 4/3/13) and drew more viewers than the second half-hour of NBC's The Voice. Building on its Adult 18-49 lead-in at 9pm (+133%), ABC's Modern Family dominated its half-hour by 21% over American Idol and outrated its nearest scripted competition in the slot by 46% (CBS' Criminal Minds). Modern held 92% of its last original airing with young adults. During the 9:30pm half-hour, ABC's How to Live With Your Parents was up 47% week to week in Adults 18-49 to its 3rd-highest rating. In addition, How to Live With Your Parents delivered stronger young adult lead-in retention year to year for ABC in the half-hour, compared to B---- in Apt 23 on the year-ago night out of an original Modern Family (63% vs. 56%).Videos